Overview

Mental illness refers to a clinically significant disturbance in an individual’s cognition, emotional regulation, or behaviour, usually associated with distress or impairment in important areas of functioning (WHO 2022).

The AIHW collects, analyses and reports on a broad range of mental health-related data and information and updates the web report Mental health services in Australia as new data becomes available.

Featured summaries

Mental health services

Mental health services in Australia describes the activity and characteristics of Australia’s health care and social care services accessed by people with a mental illness.

Overview

Service types

This section includes a range of mental health‑related services provided in Australia by various levels of government.

Funding and resources

This section includes health expenditure (what was spent), health funding (funding provided and who provided the funds), where mental health services are delivered and the types and number of specialist and generalist mental health workers.

Monitoring, safety and quality

A safe and high-quality health system provides the most appropriate care, while keeping patients safe from preventable harm. Measuring aspects of safety and quality is important in all areas of the health system, including mental health. 

Key sections include:

Mental health data and information

Australia’s Health 2022 and Australia’s Welfare 2021 both have a mix of statistical snapshots and data insights that explore topical health and welfare issues including data and information on the mental health of Australians.

Australia’s health 2022

Australia’s welfare 2021

Chronic conditions reports

Population group reports

These reports include various sections on mental health.

Other reports

These reports include various sections on mental health.

Other mental health sites

AIHW has two other sites relating to specific areas of mental health. These are updated progressively as new data becomes available.